Morning light crept slowly into the cave, pale and thin.
Dust hung in the air.
The forest outside was quiet—too quiet.
Then—
A howl echoed through the cave.
Not loud.
But close.
Too close.
It was a sound I'd already heard too many times.
I jolted awake in my tucked-away corner, instincts screaming before my thoughts caught up. Pale daylight filtered into the cave, illuminating the stone far more than it had the night before.
I looked toward the nest.
The mother bird wasn't watching me anymore.
She was staring past me.
At the cave entrance.
That's when I heard them.
Growls.
Snarls.
Footsteps.
They echoed inside the cave—heavy, deliberate, unconcerned with silence.
A few seconds passed.
Then shapes emerged.
Wolves.
Three of them.
They moved straight toward the nest, teeth bared, eyes locked forward. They didn't even glance in my direction as they passed my cubby hole.
As the third wolf went by, I strained my hearing.
No more footsteps.
Just three.
I slowly began to inch out of hiding, keeping myself low, careful to stay out of their direct line of sight.
I was almost at the edge of the cave.
Almost out.
Then I saw the nest.
The unhatched eggs.
The half-hatched ones.
The mother bird, wings spread wide in a useless attempt to shield them.
I exhaled.
…Fine.
Instead of slipping away, I crept toward the cave entrance, eyes locked on the wolves as they closed in on the nest.
A loose rock lay near my feet.
I grabbed it with my stubby arms and threw it.
The stone bounced uselessly across the cave floor, rolling to a stop nowhere near them.
…I blinked.
I guess I'm not good at throwing.
All three wolves turned at once.
Growls deepened.
One of them stared at me harder than the others—its gaze sharp, piercing.
And I knew.
They recognized me.
Their eyes lingered just a fraction longer than they should have.
They advanced slowly.
I backed toward the cave entrance.
Then turned and ran.
Just outside the cave, debris from last night's collapse still littered the ground. I shoved a large stone forward, rolling it into the entrance just as the wolves lunged.
The first wolf didn't adjust in time.
It slammed into the stone, tried to leap—
—and failed.
Its back legs clipped the rock, and it collapsed with a sharp whine.
The other two cleared the obstacle easily.
I bolted.
Straight into the forest.
I leapt over fallen trees and shattered rocks, remnants of last night's chaos. My speed carried me forward in short, explosive bursts—
—but the wolves kept pace.
They were fast.
Agile.
Built for this terrain.
I need a plan. Now.
I couldn't fight them head-on.
I had no real combat abilities.
I scanned the forest desperately.
Then—
A river.
An idea sparked.
I slowed just enough to grab a stone, then surged forward again. As I jumped over the river, I let the rock drop into the water.
Ripples spread.
The first wolf cleared the river easily.
The second followed—
And in mid-air, something erupted from below.
A fish-like monster burst out of the water—same twisted shape as before, but larger. Its hide was darker, the fins jagged instead of smooth.
Jaws snapped shut around the wolf's torso.
It dragged the wolf under in a violent splash.
The river churned.
Then went still.
I didn't slow.
One down.
The last wolf was still gaining on me.
Step by step.
My mind raced as I scanned the forest—fallen logs, rocks, uneven ground.
Nothing.
Then—
A large tree.
Standing alone.
I ran straight for it.
Let's see if this works.
I sprinted directly at the trunk.
At the last second, I jumped—just like I had at the cliff wall—and used my sticky body to take several steps up the bark.
The wolf couldn't react in time.
It slammed headfirst into the tree with a sickening crack.
I felt the impact through the tree.
The vibration shuddered down the trunk and into me, throwing off my balance for a split second.
As my grip failed, I fell—
—and landed on the wolf's body.
The impact bounced me off it.
Once.
Twice.
I rolled across the dirt before finally skidding to a stop, vision wobbling as I forced myself upright.
Then—
Stillness.
You gain 40 EXP
Level Up
Level Up
You have reached Level 9
I stayed still.
Listening.
No footsteps.
No growls.
No movement in the brush.
Only then did I let myself breathe.
Phew.
I'm glad that somehow worked.
I turned my attention inward.
How do I use my Mimic Copy ability?
Touch the monster you killed and say 'Copy.'
I approached the wolf's body cautiously.
How much MP does it use?
Depends on the monster's level. For this monster: 3 MP.
I hesitated.
That's not cheap.
But I need it.
I frowned.
…That's less EXP than before.
I glanced at the wolf's body again.
Was this wolf lower level than the one I killed earlier?
Yes. The previous wolf was Level 10. This one is Level 6.
…I killed a Level 10?
I stared at the corpse.
No wonder that wolf hates me so much.
I probably killed its alpha brother by accident.
I refocused.
Touched the wolf.
Copy.
Light flared.
Not blinding—
Wrong.
Something pulled at me.
For a heartbeat, I saw it.
The wolf's claw, spectral and half-formed, tearing through the air the way it had on the cliff.
Then it dissolved.
And sank into me.
The sensation lingered—sharp, foreign, uncomfortable.
Copy successful
New Ability Acquired: Claw Slash
…Is this the same ability they used on the ledge?
Interesting.
That ability had carved stone apart like it was paper.
If I could control it—
This could keep me alive.
You said copied abilities are temporary, unstable, and have side effects.
Yes.
What are they?
Check your abilities list.
My abilities list?
[Abilities List]
Mimic Copy (Innate – cannot be removed)
Claw Slash
I glanced at the list.
…This wasn't here before.
I selected Claw Slash.
Claw Slash:
Creates a visible claw that disrupts the air and cuts through objects at range.
Cost:
2 MP per use.
Side Effect:
Your body is incompatible with this ability.
Each use consumes ¼ of your remaining HP at the moment of activation.
…That's unbelievably extreme.
One careless use would be enough to finish me.
I swallowed.
But it's better than nothing.
I looked down at myself.
No visible changes.
No pain.
Just that faint, unsettling sense that something inside me didn't belong.
I checked my stats.
HP: 25 / 30
MP: 4 (7)
Attack: Lv.3
Defense: Lv.2
Speed: Lv.5
Vitality: Lv.2
Perception: Lv.3
Resolve: Lv.3
…So for the rest of the day,
I can use it twice.
The bushes rustled.
I turned—
And saw open jaws inches from my face.
I tried to twist away—
Too slow.
The wolf bit down, tearing a chunk of my jelly-like body free.
Pain flared.
The wolf landed, snarling—
Then spat the flesh out.
It hit the ground with a wet slap.
It gagged.
The wolf growled again, hackles raised.
HP: 10 / 30
Dammit!
Pain rippled through me.
The wolf limped forward—its back legs injured.
I froze.
The first wolf.
The one that hit the rock.
…You're the third.
I didn't expect you to chase me.
I straightened.
Well,
you came at the perfect time.
Time to use your own ability against you.
The wolf lunged again.
Time slowed.
I focused—really focused.
My vision sharpened.
The wolf hung in the air, jaws wide, teeth bared—
Claw Slash.
The air screamed.
A massive claw erupted forward and tore straight through the wolf mid-leap, slicing it into three pieces before it hit the ground.
The remains hit in wet thuds—fur, blood, and torn flesh splattering across the grass and dirt.
…That was messy.
And expensive.
HP: 8 / 30
So it does cost HP.
You gain 25 EXP
…Only 25.
Must've been the weakest one.
I stood there for a second.
Alive.
I took a deep breath.
Then let it out slowly.
Only then did I look up.
The sun sat high above the trees.
Midday.
I stared at my remaining HP.
HP: 8 / 30
That was all I had for the entire day.
Healing meant sleeping—
—and I couldn't afford to sleep whenever I wanted.
I needed a place.
Somewhere safe.
Somewhere quiet.
Somewhere predators wouldn't find me.
Then—
A howl echoed through the forest.
Deeper.
Sharper.
Dominant.
My core tightened.
…The alpha.
It was close.
I didn't wait.
I turned and vanished into the trees, slipping between bushes and shadows—
running in the opposite direction of the sound.